An event with an impressive CV

With 400 exhibitors expected at this year’s Commercial Vehicle Show, the industry’s largest UK exhibition will see most of the key players in the road transport marketplace meet at Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre from 9-11 April.

A significant number of vehicle and product launches are promised, giving the whole industry a welcome boost and ensuring that business visitors are offered every option for effective fleet operation and maintenance.

The 2013 Show will showcase one of the widest-ever ranges of exhibitors including truck, trailer and van manufacturers, tyre specialists, telematics experts, tyre, hydraulic and lifting gear suppliers and tanker operators.

With the implementation date for Euro 6 set for January 2014, this year’s CV Show will be the only Springtime European opportunity for manufacturers to present their latest products and innovations – and several exhibitors are taking advantage of this opportunity with important industry launches.

Vehicle launches
Some of the big manufacturer names set to wow the crowds with their latest vehicles are Citroën, DAF Trucks, Fiat Professional, Ford, Isuzu, Isuzu Truck, Iveco, MAN, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan and Volvo Trucks.

DAF will be there with its new Euro 6 XF and Mercedes-Benz UK will show its new ‘urban hero’, the Mercedes-Benz Citan small van, as well as its new construction truck, Arocs.

It will be five years since Iveco exhibited at the Commercial Vehicle Show in its own right and the company will be back with its flagship Stralis Hi-Way, winner of the International Truck of the Year Award 2013.

Citroën will display its all‑new Berlingo Electrique van at this year’s CV Show. This advanced, 100 per cent electric van builds upon Citroën’s extensive experience of electric LCVs in the UK, gained with the first generation Berlingo Electrique launched in 1998. The Citroën stand will also show a number of other new LCV products.

Volvo Trucks returns to the Show with its recently launched new FH series and, similarly, MAN will take the opportunity for the first UK showing of its Euro 6 cabs.

The decision by BMW to launch its all-new MINI Clubvan at the CV Show means a little glamour will be added to the light commercial vehicle sector. The MINI Clubvan demonstrates to those who value the importance of both efficiency and appearance that it can offer the perfect extension to any company brand. Commended for delivering style, efficiency and class-leading driving dynamics, coupled with fuel efficiency levels not usually found in light commercial vehicles, the Clubvan has already made a big impression.

Ford is introducing a new family of high‑tech, fuel-efficient commercials in the UK by 2015.  A range of vehicles will exist under the Transit brand name, all of which will be at the International CV Show 2013: Ford Courier, Transit Connect, Transit Custom and two-tonne Transit.

The Aftermarket
As part of the Commercial Vehicle Show, aftermarket-focused ‘Workshop 2013’ is aimed directly at fleet engineers and passenger car garage operators. A wide range of products on show will cover everything from handheld diagnostics to pillar lifts capable of raising a 44-tonne artic. The Workshop area in Hall 4 also boasts big names and innovative products with companies like Bradbury Equipment, Cobra UK, Gemco Equipment, Liftmaster Commercial, MAHA, OSS Group, Ring Automotive, Somers Totalkare, Stertil Power Products and Tecalemit showing their latest equipment and products.

Innovations
OSS Group specialises in waste oil collection, workshop waste management, parts washers and spill containment products. OSS produces Gen3™ from the waste oil collected, its latest and most advanced processed fuel oil. The company also provides total waste management including interceptor and septic tank clearances and tyre and workshop waste collections.

With attention firmly fixed on the need for fuel efficiency, companies like Airtab, Eclipse Diagnostics and Texa UK can ensure that engines operate at peak efficiency 24/7.

The tyre business is well represented by manufacturers, stockists and tyre management companies such as ATS Euromaster, Bandvulc, Bridgestone, R H Claydon, Continental Tyres, Hankook and Kirby Tyres.

At this year’s CV Show, Clark Masts will launch its new purpose-made high output LED flood lamp range, designed specifically for vehicle use and optimised for its range of telescopic lighting masts. As well as lighting, the masts can be used for CCTV cameras, communications antennae, warning beacons, weather stations, acoustic recording equipment, etc.

Smart Witness is a global developer, manufacturer and distributor of vehicle CCTV systems. The company’s products are widely used in the commercial fleet sector for accident recording, vehicle tracking, driver training/monitoring, operational efficiency and safety.

Data for Fleets
Continental Automotive is just one company that has developed a wide range of tachograph data for fleet managers. At this year’s Show, Continental will exhibit VDO Digital Tachograph 2.0 with Counter, giving drivers quick access to live driving hours and required breaks. The company will also show ‘SmartLink’, which is a revolutionary device for using the tachograph remotely inside or outside the cab. Its TIS-Web Messaging also allows users to access data via messaging using iphone and android technology.

Among exhibitors offering solutions for efficient fleet management – keeping environmental awareness high on operators’ priorities – are Air1 AdBlue, BlueCat AdBlue, CMS Supatrak, Greenchem Solutions, Greenox AdBlue, Hatcher Components, Isotrak, MiX Telematics, TomTom Business Solutions and Triscan Systems.

A number of exhibitors will offer training solutions, including AA DriveTech whose training courses are for truck/LGV drivers. Many of its classroom workshops and on-road courses have been accredited by JAUPT to contribute towards Driver CPC periodic training. CMS SupaTrak and Route Monkey have joined forces on a new integrated solution to bring together real‑time vehicle telematics, route optimisation and scheduling. The system, called EcoPlan, will be launched at CV Show 2013.

Using specialist technology, businesses can integrate existing routing and planning systems with Route Monkey, which optimises the data based on, for example, average road speeds, site access times, road restrictions and driving/working hours. This information is imported into the CMS SupaTrak system and integrated with real‑time vehicle telematics data to create planned routes against actual journeys taken. 

TomTom Business Solutions is an award‑winning supplier of fleet management technology, combining vehicle tracking, navigation and driver behaviour monitoring. More than 19,000 companies worldwide rely on TomTom fleet management to monitor and manage their mobile operations, helping to boost efficiency and enhance green credentials.

Details, details
The websites www.cvshow.com and www.workshopshow.co.uk feature links to the ticket application process and prospective visitors can register by clicking on the ‘free tickets’ panel on the home page. Also, visitors with smartphones can download the CV Show app, which features an interactive map, news feed, Twitter stream and exhibitor listing – go to www.cvshowapp.com.